Web feeding apparatus



0d. 31, 1939. RUNGE 2,178,242-

WEB FEEDING APPARATUS Filed June 30, 1937 Patented Oct. 31, 1939 UITED WEB FEEDING APPARATUS Frank E. Runge, Oaklyn, N. l, assignor to Radio Corporation of America, a corporation of Delaware Application June 30,

8 Claims.

This invention relates to.web feeding apparatus, and more particularly to a pad roller construction for use in motion picture apparatus in conjunction with film feeding sprockets, the principal object of the present invention being to provide an improved mounting for the pad rollers whereby the operation will be greatly simplified.

Another object of my invention is to provide an improved pad roller mounting wherein the pad rollers may be readily adjusted for proper accommodationto the film feeding sprocket to provide proper clearance for the film therebetween.

Still another object of my invention is to provide an improved pad roller mounting by means of which the pad rollers will always be maintained in proper relationship to the sprocket.

A further object of my invention is to provide an improved pad roller mounting as aforesaid which may be very easily operated either to open position for threading of the film on the sprocket, or to closed position for holding the film in threaded engagement with the sprocket.

It is also an object of my invention to provide an improved pad roller mounting which is simple in construction, which may be easily manipulated, which will positively lock in either open or closed position, and which is comprised of so few parts as to be economical of manufacture.

According to my invention, the pad rollers are carried by a mounting plate which is itself mounted in, and guided by, a groove formed in the bearing bushing which supports the sprocket shaft. This groove not only serves to locate the pad rollers in proper radial and lateral relation to the sprocket, but also to positively guide the movement of the pad rollers toward and away from the sprocket as well as to center the pad rollers across the film and the sprocket. A bayonet lock in cooperation with a suitable spring and an eccentric locking stud positively locks the plate in either closed or open position, while at the same time permitting easy operationof the plate to either position by a very slight pressure. Film clearance between the pad rollers and the sprocket is readily adjustable by adjusting the aforementioned eccentric stud.

The novel features that I consider characteristic of my invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its organization and method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will best be understood from the following description of several embodiments companying drawing, in which thereof, when read in connection with the ac'-' 1937, Serial No. 151,231

Figure 1 is an end elevation of one form of pad roller arrangement and mounting therefor according to my invention with the pad rollers in closed position relative to the film feeding sprocket,

Figure 2 is a similar view, but showing the pad rollers in open position to permit threading of a film,

Figure 3 is a top plan view thereof with the pad rollers in closed position,

Figure 4 is a view partly in elevation and partly in section taken on the line IV-IV of Fig. 3,

Figure 5 is an end elevation of a slightly different form of my invention, the solid lines showing the pad roller assembly in closed position and the dot-and-dash lines showing the assembly in open position, and

Figure 6 is a bottom plan view of the latter form of my invention.

Referring more specifically to the drawing, wherein similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout, there is shown, in Figs. 1 to 4, a supporting wall I forming part of a moving picture apparatus and supporting a bushing 3 in which is journaled a shaft 5 having a film feeding sprocket l suitably secured thereto. Cooperating with the sprocket l to maintain the film l in feeding engagement with the sprocket 'l are a pair of spaced pad rollers 9 rotatably carried by a mounting plate H, the rollers 9 having their axes parallel to the axis of rotation of the sprocket l.

Formed in the bushing 3 is an annular guide groove it which receives the mounting plate III for sliding movement therein in a plane normal to I the axes of rotation of the sprocket l and the pad rollers Q. A post I5 is threaded into the support l for adjustment thereon and has a projecting stud ll eccentrically formed thereon, the stud ll being received in a bayonet locking slot l9 formed in the plate ii. A coil spring 2i connected at one end to the plate H and at the other to the post l5 constantly urges the plate H into the closed position shown in Fig. 1 wherein the limit of approach of the pad rollers 9 toward the sprocket 'l is determined by engagement of the end 59a of the slot it with the projection or stud ll. By loosening the locking nut 23 on the post and turning the post l5 one way or the other, the eccentric stud ll will be correspondingly moved, and thus the film clearance between the pad rollers 9 and the sprocket may be readily adjusted, after which the nut 23 may again be tightened against the Wall E.

To prepare the device for threading of the film F, it is merely necessary to engage the finger against the end i la of the mounting plate II and apply a slight pressure thereto toward the left (as viewed in Fig. 1) sufiicient to overcome the tension of the spring 2|, whereupon the mounting plate I l and its pad rollers 9 are moved bodily as a unit to the position shown in Fig. 2. In this position, the plate ll rotates clockwise slightly about the shaft 5 as an axis until the end i912 of the slot I9 engages the stud ll whereupon the spring 2i, pulling back on the unit, causes the shoulder portion I90 at the slot I9 to abut against the stud Ill and releasably lock the unit in the open position. After threading the film F on the sprocket 1 in well known manner, the plate is pushed upwardly slightly to free the shoulder I90 from the stud l9, whereupon the spring 2| immediately pulls the unit back to the closed position of Fig. 1. During either the opening or the closing operation of the pad roller unit, a mere fiick of the finger, so to speak, will be sufficient to effect the desired result, and at the same time not only are the limits of movement of the plate I I well defined by the slot 1 9 and the stud l 7, but the unit is adequately locked in either the closed or the open position.

In certain cases, it may be desirable to have the opening and closing of the pad rollers relative to the sprocket automatically effected while other parts of the apparatus are being conditioned for threading. The modification of my invention shown in Figs. 5 and 6 is designed to meet such conditions. In these figures, there is shown a film gate comprising a fixed aperture plate 25, and a relatively movable aperture plate 2! between which the film is advanced, as by means of the sprocket l which may be intermittently operated in any suitable manner. The movable plate 21' may be secured to the housing 29 of an optical system (not shown) for movement therewith and the housing 29 may be provided with a projecting plate 3| having a pin 33 fixed thereto.

Pivoted to the mounting plate II at and received in a second annular guide groove 3'! in the bushing 3 is an operating lever 39 having a slot 4| therein which receives the pin 33. When the film gate is opened by pushing the optical housing to the right (as viewed in Fig. 5), the pin 33, acting in the slot 4!, forces the operating lever 39 clockwise around the shaft 5 in the guide groove 3'! thereby causing the lever 39 to impart, first, a slight clockwise rotation about the shaft 5 to release the shoulder I90 from the stud ii, and then to impart a thrust to the mounting plate H in a downward direction to cause the plate H and its rollers 9 to move bodily as a unit from the solid line position to the dot-and-dash line position of Fig. 5. On the other hand, when the film gate is closed by pushing the optical housing 39 to the left, the pin 33 effects counterclockwise rotation of the operating lever 39 about the shaft 5 and causes the lever 39 to raise the pad roller unit back to the closed, or solid line, position, the spring 2! pulling the plate counterclockwise about the shaft 5 for the shoulder I 90 to again engage the stud I1 and thereby releasably lock the pad roller unit in closed position.

Although I have shown and described but two embodiments of my invention, I am fully aware that many other modifications thereof are possible. Furthermore, it will undoubtedly be apparent to those skilledin the art that many changes may be made even in the embodiments herein described without departing from the spirit of my invention. For example, in place of the sprocket 1, any other rotary film feeding element, such as a friction drum, may be employed for feeding forward the film F or any other suitable strip or web, in which case the pad rollers 9 would be arranged to engage the web and press it against the rotary element in the closed position. Many other changes will, no doubt, readily suggest themselves to those skilled in the art. I therefore desire that my invention shall not be limited except insofar as is made necessary by the prior art and by the spirit of the appended claims,

I claim as my invention:

1. In apparatus for advancing a perforated film strip, the combination of a rotatable film feeding sprocket, a movable mounting plate, a plurality of pad rollers carried by said plate for cooperation with said sprocket to hold the film strip in feeding relation therewith, means having a guide groove therein receiving said plate for guiding the movement thereof between predetermined positions in one of which said pad r0llers are relatively removed from said sprocket and in another of which said pad rollers are relatively close to said sprocket for effecting said cooperation, means constantly urging said plate and its pad rollers toward said latter position, and means associated with said plate for determining positions.

2. The invention set forth in claim 1 characterized in that said position determining means is adjustable whereby said positions may be varied at will.

3. The invention set forth in claim 1 characterized in that said plate and said position determining means are so constructed and arranged relative to each other that said means is adapted to releasably lock said plate in said first named position against the influence of said first named means.

4. In apparatus for advancing a perforated film strip, the combination of a rotatable film feeding sprocket, a movable mounting plate, a plurality of pad rollers carried by said plate for cooperation with said sprocket to hold the film strip in feeding relation therewith, and means having a guide groove therein receiving said plate for guiding the movement thereof between predetermined positions in one of which said pad rollers are relatively removed from said sprocket and in another of which said pad rollers are relatively close to said sprocket for efiecting said cooperation.

5. In apparatus for advancing a perforated film strip, the combination of a rotatable film feeding sprocket, a movable mounting plate, a plurality of pad rollers rotatably carried by said plate for cooperation with said sprocket to hold the film strip in feeding relation therewith, means having a guide groove therein receiving said plate for guiding the movement thereof between predetermined positions in one of which said pad rollers are relatively removed from said sprocket and in another of which said pad rollers are relatively close to said sprocket for effecting said cooperation, and means constantly urging said plate and its pad rollers toward said latter position.

6. In apparatus for advancing a perforated film strip, the combination of a supporting member, a bushing carried thereby, a film feeding sprocket rotatably carried in said bushing, said bushing having an annular guide groove therein,

a plate slidably received in said guide groove and having a preformed locking slot therein, a plurality of pad rollers rotatably mounted on-said plate in spaced relation to each other and adapted, when in closed position with respect- 1 to said sprocket, to hold the film strip in feeding relation therewith, a locking element mounted on said supporting member and received by said locking slot, and means constantly urging said plate and its pad rollers toward said closed position, said locking element cooperating with one portion of said slot to hold said plate and its pad rollers in said closed position, and cooperating with another portion of said slot to hold said plate and its pad rollers in open position against the influence of said means and with said rollers spaced from said sprocket.

'7. The invention set forth in claim 6 characterized in that said locking slot is constituted by v a bayonet slot, and characterized further in that said locking element is arranged to cooperate with one end ofv said bayonet slot-to hold said plate and its pad rollers in said closed position and with the other end thereof to hold said plate and its pad rollers in said open position.

8. In apparatus for advancing a perforated film strip, the combination of a supporting memher, a bushing carried thereby, a film feeding sprocket rotatably carried in said bushing, said bushing having an annular guide groove thereino a plate slidably received in said guide groove and having a bayonet slot therein, a pair of pad rollers rotatably mounted on said plate in spaced relation to each other and adapted, when inclosed position with respect to said sprocket, to hold the film strip in feeding relation therewith,

said rollers having their respective axes parallel 1 to the axis of rotation of said sprocket, a post adjustably mounted on saidvsupporting member, spring means connected between said post and saidplate constantly urging said plate toward closed position with respect to said sprocket, and a projection eccentrically located on said post, said projection extending into said bayonet slot and serving, atone end of said slot, to determine the clearance between said pad rollers and said sprocket in closed position, and at the other end of said slot, to positively hold said mounting plate and said pad rollers in open position. away from said sprocket, said post being adjustable to vary said clearance,

' FRANK E. RUNGE.,'.

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION. Patent No 2,17 ,2LL2. v t 7 October 1, 1959.

. 1 FRANK, E.. RUNGE.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 1, second column, line 28, for "film 7" read film F; page 2, second column, line 51, claim l, before "positions," insert said; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the, Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 2nd day of January, A. D. l9h0.

v Henry Van Arsdale,

(Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

